


Thick (In More Ways Than One)

by izukillme



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Betrothal Necklace (Avatar), Confessions, Dorks in Love, Engagement, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Foiled Confessions, Humor, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Weddings, Zuko (Avatar) is an Idiot, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:14:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23699845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/izukillme/pseuds/izukillme
Summary: Sokka attempts to propose to Zuko. It... does not go well.
Relationships: Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 40
Kudos: 625





	Thick (In More Ways Than One)

**Author's Note:**

> Zuko is bloody dense. I wanted to sock him throughout this.

Sokka swallowed, clenching the wrapped object in his hand tightly. He was _nowhere_ near ready for this… 

But it was time. He’d waited long enough - it had been six years since the war ended, and he’d held everything in since then. He had let it simmer like broth over the stove, allowing the flavours to deepen into something richer than just a strong friendship or an impulsive crush.

Steeling his nerves, he straightened his back and walked forward as imperiously as he could manage. The gates of the Fire Nation palace grew larger and larger, and the cold flames of fear licked at Sokka’s stomach as he drew close. 

_It’s now or never,_ he told himself firmly, quelling the feeling of nervousness, and was just about to open the gate when he was interrupted by a guard.

“Sir,” said the man sternly. “I’m afraid I can’t let you in.”

Sokka let out a breath and looked up at the palace. It was an easy way out that he was being given. He could turn around, give up and leave, pretend that what he was feeling had never existed - he couldn’t avoid the master of the castle for the rest of his life, but he _was_ an excellent actor, and could bury everything he felt if need be.

Still, his heart had led him all this way… shouldn’t that count for something? He was a warrior of the Water Tribe, and warriors of the Water Tribe _never gave up._

So Sokka set his jaw and lifted his chin, saying airily, “Yeah, I’m sorry, but this is kind of urgent. I’m the Fire Lord’s friend, you know?” 

He attempted to push past the guard and get in. A spear blocked his way.

Sokka frowned. 

“Oh, come _on,_ man!” He lifted his boomerang, nudging the spear down - it was almost ridiculously easy with the guard’s terrible technique, honestly, _what_ was Zuko doing with his security?

...speaking of Zuko’s security, they were all well aware of who he was! Sokka visited the Fire Nation at least once every month to check in on ~~the love of his life~~ the Fire Lord, and the rotating guard knew him by name at this point. 

“I know all too many people claiming to be the friend of Fire Lord Zuko,” continued the man, staring Sokka down fiercely. “You must be a murderer-”

“Are you new?” Sokka interrupted.

The man’s eyebrow twitched. 

“And what’s it to you, even if I am?” he snapped.

Sokka drew himself up proudly, pulling confidence and swagger into his posture.

“I’m Sokka, of the Water Tribe,” he declared. “Haven’t your friends told you about me? That I’m to be let in to see Zuko whenever I come by?”

The man laughed derisively.

“As if!” he sneered. “It’s easy enough to get Water Tribe clothes and a boomerang. Lord Sokka would never walk all this way.”

Sokka rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, _“Lord_ Sokka isn’t a spoiled, royal brat that needs a palanquin to carry him ten metres south.” 

“What was that?!” shrieked the guard, nudging the tip of Sokka’s chin up with his spear. “I’m taking you in for questioning! You-”

Then the gates clanged open, and a rough, low rasp, the same rasp that sent chills up Sokka’s spine every time he heard it, intercepted, “I’ll ask you to step away from my friend here, please, Guardsman Ling.”

The newly-named Ling froze, his face draining of all colour under his ugly Fire Nation helmet. (It looked like Zuko _still_ hadn’t taken Sokka’s suggestion on a more handsome - and more practical - style of headgear. Sokka was offended.) He turned around slowly, and whitened further when he matched the face with the voice. 

“F - Fire Lord Zuko!” he stammered out, bowing low. “I - I - I didn’t know-”

“That’s all right,” Zuko said, a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips. “You may rise. You can’t be expected to know that some idiot,” and here he cast Sokka a scathing glance, “who just randomly shows up without _any prior warning_ would be my friend.”

Ling nodded hastily.

“Y - yes, My Lord!” he shouted and saluted. “I’ll, er, leave you to it, sir!”

Zuko nodded regally, then turned and smiled at Sokka, whose mouth fell slightly open at how _good_ he looked in those rather extravagant robes. The ridiculous breastplate accentuated his shoulders; the cape that would have looked stupid on anyone else simply served to make him seem elegant; the balloon pants surprisingly complemented the rest of the outfit; and owing to the fact that his hair had grown out in the front, some strands framed his face, adding a touch of maturity. Sokka would never have thought that someone could make a Fire Nation topknot look sexy, but Zuko managed it - especially with that crown jabbed neatly into the bun. 

“Come on, then. Are you going to stand there all day and swelter in the sun or do you want some tea?” Zuko said bitingly, but there was no real heat in his words. “You’re going to catch flies, you know.”

He stepped forward, lifting a hand and gently closing Sokka’s jaw. Sokka flushed at the contact, a burning sensation at the spot on his chin where Zuko’s fingers had touched, as if the Firebender had held a small flame to it. He followed quickly after the Fire Lord, the covering of the package in his hand growing a little damp with the sweat that was suddenly dripping from his palms.

Zuko led with a firm confidence in his step, his back straight and head high in a way that he hadn’t had a year back, and Sokka couldn’t help but appraise how far he’d come from the diffident teenage boy who’d been scared to raise his voice in command for fear of becoming like his father. The young Fire Lord strode briskly down the corridors, his longer step meaning that Sokka had to almost run to catch up. 

“Zuko,” he huffed, “slow down a little, will you?”

Zuko stopped, turning around and cocking his head at Sokka in what had to be the most _unfairly attractive_ way known to man.

“It’s not my fault you’re so tiny. You should have drunk more puma-goat milk as a kid.”

“Me? Tiny?” Sokka felt his hackles rise, but he didn’t mind it. This was his favourite part of being around Zuko - no matter what sort of crazy feelings he had for his friend, it was always so easy to fall into banter with the guy. “You’re just a - a freak of nature!”

“You do realise that you just called the _Fire Lord_ a freak of nature.” Zuko raised his eyebrow. “I could have you banished for that, you know?”

Sokka grinned. “And I’m also not technically under your jurisdiction, you know?”

Zuko rolled his eyes fondly and continued to walk, but his steps were deliberately slower this time. Sokka found that he could quite easily keep up without running, and smiled to himself - Zuko may not explicitly state it, but he was probably the most considerate, motherly person Sokka had ever met. 

They stopped at a towering set of double doors, all the way at the end of what was possibly the most grandiose corridor in the Caldera Palace (and if you asked Sokka, that was saying a _lot_ ). The chambers within were familiar enough to Sokka, for he’d visited them many times under the pretext of delivering important reports from across the world when really Zuko would just have tea sent up and they would spend hours chatting and laughing idly. 

“So, what brings you here?” Zuko asked, throwing the doors open and walking to his bed, then flopping down onto it rather ungracefully. Sokka hid a snigger at the movements, so unlike Zuko’s usual perfect poise, but quickly remembered why he was here and closed the doors, sighing softly as he sagged backwards against them.

“Can’t I just come to see you?” Sokka joked with a strained smile, wanting to delay as long as possible. It was quite plausible that Zuko would reject him entirely; though Sokka knew for a fact that his friend was bisexual, it wasn’t commonly accepted in the Fire Nation despite the abolition of Sozin’s law. Besides, what if Zuko already liked somebody else? Why would he settle for a simple Water Tribe peasant when he could have literally anyone he wanted?

This had been a terrible idea. Sokka was about to deny that he’d come for anything, about to turn and flee, when a candid smile tugged Zuko’s lips upward and he _laughed_ like the boy that he still was under all that royal bearing. 

The sound was like music to Sokka’s poor gay heart.

“Of course you can. I missed you, Sokka.” Zuko said in his straightforward manner, wearing that honest smile that made him look so kissable.

Sokka almost choked, but caught himself just in time. 

_He missed you. He_ **_missed_ ** _you._

He found himself grinning from ear to ear like the biggest fool on the surface of the Earth.

“Nice to hear that. Me, too.” 

The feeling in his voice was genuine this time, and Sokka thought Zuko knew that too, because his friend’s golden eyes warmed a little bit more. 

“How have you been?” Zuko asked, not allowing Sokka to linger on how beautiful his eyes were. (How rude of him, really.)

“I - uh - fine,” Sokka answered quickly, so as not to seem awkward. “Y - you? Found any cute girls to date? Or guys?”

He was rambling and he knew it. Sokka’s neck flushed - thankfully, he was wearing a high collar and his reddened skin was hidden for the most part.

Zuko shook his head. 

“No. I have my eye on someone, but I don’t know if he likes me back.” he admitted. “I haven’t seen him in a while; still, if there ever was anyone I’d consider settling down with, it would be him. He’s calm and kind and brave and funny and I’ve loved him for a while now, so… yes.” 

Sokka raised an eyebrow, trying to quell the flicker of hope that was licking at his chest.

“But… that law. The people of the Fire Nation still think same-sex relationships are a crime… how are you going to survive those prejudices?”

Zuko snorted, waving a hand.

“I’m the Fire Lord. I can do whatever the hell I want. Perks of the absolute monarchy; no one can question my decisions. So if I want to get married to this guy - and if he wants to marry me - there’s nothing that anyone can do about it.” 

Sokka didn’t answer for a few seconds, carefully contemplating the information that he’d just received.

 _He likes someone… a_ **_guy_ ** _… who he hasn’t seen in a while. And he’s entirely ready to settle down with him._

_There’s every possibility that that could be me._

Sokka found himself starting to smile again - maybe his love wasn’t as unrequited as he’d thought. Sure, Zuko probably did have other male friends that he hadn’t seen in a bit, but a guy could hope, right?

“I hope that he feels the same way,” he told Zuko honestly. Even if Mystery Guy wasn’t Sokka himself, he would be happy if Zuko was happy. 

_Holy shit._ Sokka realised belatedly. _I’m really, really in love with him._

Zuko’s voice interrupted him from his sudden, earth-shattering revelation with, “How about you? Anyone you have your eye on?”

Sokka’s chest froze with nerves.

_To tell him or not to tell him? Worst case scenario, stuff becomes awkward as hell and I never talk to him again._

_But hey… I came all this way to shoot my shot. Might as well get it over with._

So he swallowed, and like a true warrior of the Water Tribe, went for it.

“That’s… what I came to tell you.” he divulged softly, opening his hand to show the packet clutched within.

_Oh, Spirits…_

Zuko stared at the wrapped parcel with interest, sitting up and then walking over to Sokka to get a better look at it. Sokka swallowed nervously as Zuko opened the brown paper cover to reveal what was within.

A crimson strip of silken cloth sat innocently against the wrapping, a round red stone on the centre. It had taken many weeks to make, having been crafted carefully by hand, and bore the combined symbols of the Water Tribe and Fire Nation - the emblem of the Water Tribe, but with the three waves on top replaced by three small carvings of the symbol of the Fire Nation.

“A betrothal necklace,” Zuko whispered reverently. “Can I touch it?” 

Sokka inhaled sharply. 

_He knows he knows he knows -_

“‘Course,” he said quickly, trying to appear casual.

Zuko smiled and picked up the necklace, running his fingers gently over it. He held it up to the light of the fire burning in a brazier high above them, and Sokka couldn’t resist proudly saying, “It’s fireproof cloth, too. Took weeks to perfect the materials I needed for it, but I got it done anyways.”

“Sokka,” Zuko breathed softly, bringing the necklace down in his hands.

Sokka pressed his lips together, his heart in his mouth. This was the part where either Zuko admitted he returned his feelings, or crushed his dreams. He waited with bated breath for Zuko to drop the final sentence - 

“Who’s the lucky girl?” 

The world rolled to a stop around Sokka. The air froze, and Zuko’s mouth moved in slow motion as he spoke. 

_“Who’s… the… lucky… girl?”_

Sokka wanted to faint. He wanted to die. He wanted to bang his head against the wall because _how could anyone be so unbelievably dense and idiotic and oh_ **_Spirits_ ** _this was not going well he had such shitty taste in guys he had to go and pick the biggest fool of them all he was so screwed -_

“Sokka? Sokka!” 

A hand waving in front of his face and Zuko’s urgent voice brought Sokka back to the present moment, and he blinked.

“You okay?” Zuko’s beautiful eyes shimmered with concern. “You zoned out for a few minutes there, buddy.” Then the concern turned into a teasing glint as he continued, “Thinking about her?”

Sokka stared disbelievingly at the Fire Lord - the stupidest, thickest Fire Lord in history - and shook his head to clear his thoughts. He would just have to lead Zuko to the answer, wouldn’t he? Since when was _anything_ ever easy for him?

“Him, actually,” he answered, composing himself and holding Zuko’s gaze with calm confidence. 

Zuko looked surprised for a second before his face dropped.

“That’s right, of course, I forgot you were bisexual for a minute there - sorry,” he muttered. 

“It’s fine,” Sokka reassured him quickly, despite being a bit stung by the fact. Then again, there was no way Zuko would ever forget that Sokka was interested in guys too after this conversation. “And, yeah. He’s… yeah.”

“Fire Nation?” Zuko asked, gesturing to the betrothal necklace that he had replaced in Sokka’s palm.

Sokka nodded.

“Yep. One of the best Firebenders in the country.”

Zuko raised an eyebrow.

“Interesting.” was all that he said.

Sokka almost screamed. Instead, he kept his cool by some miracle and added, hoping against hope that Zuko would _get it now,_ “He’s quite high up in the Fire Nation, you know.”

“Hmm.” Zuko hummed thoughtfully. “Do I know him? I could put in a good word for you,” he added with a devious wink.

Sokka wanted to face-palm.

“Yeah. Pretty well.” he muttered instead, looking at the ground and wishing that it would swallow him up. He was almost reconsidering this - did he _really_ want a partner who was so incredibly thick?

(Yes. Yes, he did. He wanted to wake up to the staccato of Zuko’s heartbeat, wanted to go to sleep surrounded by his warmth, wanted to step into the ceremonial fires and exchange lamps with him and him alone. Did Sokka mention that he had shitty taste in guys?)

Zuko pondered for a minute, narrowing his eyes - it had no effect on his left side, given that it was already narrowed permanently. Then he suddenly demanded, “What’s he like?” 

He was looking directly at Sokka, who held his gaze coolly. Gold met blue, the first set of eyes containing curiosity and pain carefully veiled (but it was there if you looked hard enough, and it gave the Water Tribesman a little more hope that maybe his feelings were reciprocated), the second holding calm determination and passion.

“He’s kind.” Sokka began, reaching out and taking Zuko’s hand in his own. He didn’t miss the way Zuko’s cheeks turned slightly red as he started to trace the lines of his friend’s palm that was calloused from not only sword and Firebending training, but brush and paperwork too. 

“He’s brave, possibly the bravest person I know. He’s motherly as hell. He’s a wonderful leader, and he was still finding his feet when I last saw him but now it looks like he’s really grown into his position. He’s given to moments of self-doubt, but that’s what makes him such a good person - he never wants to be anything less than the best that he can. He’s really awkward, but once you get to know him you’ll see his sarcastic side, and you’ll never be able to stop laughing at his brand of humour. You can talk to him for hours about anything, and he’ll… offer you the dumbest advice in history, but in the end that advice will actually make sense. 

He’s beautiful. He has lots of scars, especially one that… _really_ stands out, but they just make him so much wiser for it. He’s made so many mistakes, but he always tries to learn from them. He has the most gorgeous golden eyes that you could get lost in for years. He has the sweetest smile, this little upward twitch of the lips when he thinks you aren’t looking. It makes his face so much softer. He’s young, painfully so, but he’s also mature and powerful and assured.”

“Oh.” Zuko said, and if Sokka wasn’t mishearing there was a definite note of… _disappointment,_ of resignation to his voice. “Sounds like you think the world of him. He must be very special to have your love.”

Sokka nodded, clenching Zuko’s palm tightly in his. 

“I do. I really do. And he is very special to me.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Zuko’s voice had evened out; it was the same diplomatic tone he used during meetings where he was trying to keep his cool. Sokka hated to hear it directed at him, but the desire to torture Zuko as Zuko had tortured him won over it. So he just hummed noncommittally, nodding his head and smiling as if he was daydreaming about the person he loved.

(There really wasn’t a need to daydream when that man was right in front of him, but Zuko didn’t need to know that just yet.)

“What is he called?” Zuko asked, no inflection to his voice. The words he chose were carefully tailored so as not to seem blunt or cold, but it was clear to anyone who knew him the way Sokka did that he was pulling away and retreating into his shell so as not to get hurt.

Sokka allowed himself to smile. 

“His name,” he said quietly, leaning in and pressing his forehead against his friend’s, “is Zuko.”

Zuko froze. His entire body stiffened, a wave of tension running up his spine. 

Sokka closed his eyes - the logical conclusion from Zuko’s behaviour thus far was that his feelings were very much requited. But his fearful heart couldn’t help thinking that there was still the chance that Zuko didn’t like him back, that he thought him disgusting and insincere for polluting their friendship with this sort of emotion.

“I - you - _me?!"_ Zuko choked out in a strangled voice. Sokka opened his eyes just a sliver to see that his neck was red under the high collar of his royal robes, and his gaze was wide.

But not with revulsion. Not with hatred, or anger. Just pure, plain _shock._ And that filled Sokka with all the determination he needed to continue - to finish what he’d started. Zuko wouldn’t hate him, regardless of whether he felt the same way. That was all that mattered - that they could still be Sokka and Zuko, after everything.

“Yeah. I - I really do think all those things about you. And… I’ve liked you for the longest time, but I didn’t want to act on it because I thought it might fade away. A teenage crush, puppy love? Ever since… the Boiling Rock. When you were so ready to put your life on the line to save a man you had never met, all to earn my trust and prove that you truly wanted to defeat your father. But more so because you felt _compassion_ for me, for the way I felt learning that he would be in prison. That was when I really understood how much of a good person you were, and it didn’t hurt that you were hot as hell - no pun intended.” 

He couldn’t help the customary upward twitch of his lips as he said that last part, but Zuko’s face was now blank and unreadable, showing no outward trace of emotion. Sokka didn’t know what to make of it, but. Well. He’d come this far, and he was going to get it over with whether Zuko liked that or not. So he barreled on. 

“I let my feelings simmer. I visited you over these years, and each time I saw you it just seemed to get stronger. And you know, when you talked about the man you loved, the guy you wanted to settle down with - I didn’t feel any resentment, you know?” 

Tears sprang up in Sokka’s eyes out of nowhere, and he looked up at the ceiling as he blinked them away, continuing to no one in particular.

“I just… wanted you to be happy. And if you were gonna find happiness with that guy, well, I would want to be by your side. But I’d never begrudge him or you for it. And I think that’s pretty telling, isn’t it?” He held up the betrothal necklace with a choked laugh. “I thought it might be me. But I… I probably screwed things up. If you don’t feel the same way, I get it. We can pretend-”

He was cut off by calloused fingers snatching the necklace out of his hands. 

Sokka’s head snapped up, following the path of the ornament, and his jaw dropped for the second time that day as Zuko reached up to his throat. The trembling hands burst with nervous sparks and fumbled with the necklace, but at long last, the Fire Lord clasped it around his neck and pushed his collar back up around it.

“Remember the guy I talked about?” Zuko said hoarsely, hand still lingering at the pendant now sitting in the hollow of his throat. “His name is Sokka.”

Impulsively, he reached out and grabbed Sokka’s hands in his own, pulling them up to his neck. Zuko pressed Sokka’s fingers to the necklace and closed his eyes. 

Sokka allowed himself to revel in the moment, tender and gentle and far more intimate than any kiss. The throat was vulnerable, and Sokka’s skill as a warrior meant that if he wanted to he could strangle Zuko with that same necklace in that same second. It was a gesture of trust, of love, and it said everything that Zuko’s mouth didn’t.

But there was one thing that Sokka hadn’t done yet - the most important thing of all. It would be just a formality now, seeing as the necklace hung snugly around Zuko’s throat, but it mattered to him more than anything else.

“Will you marry me, Zuko?”

One beat, two beats - 

“Okay.” 

The answer was soft and barely audible - but also full of feeling, of genuine love and acceptance. Zuko’s eyes shone with gentle happiness as he held Sokka, and the newly-engaged couple rejoiced in each other’s presence.

That was, until Zuko broke the silence with a palm to his forehead, and groaned, “I can’t _believe_ I was so dense.”

Sokka’s mouth twitched, but this time with annoyance rather than amusement.

“Damn _right_ you can’t believe it!” he shrieked. Zuko cringed back like he’d been stung, but Sokka didn’t let up, shouting, “You were _killing me,_ you foolish, hopeless _nincompoop!_ I can’t _fathom_ how stupid you were - it was _so obvious_ that it was you! What _other_ Fire Nation noble do I spend time around who is a powerful Firebender and high up in the monarchy, huh?!” 

Zuko winced.

“You’re never going to let me live this down, are you?” he muttered to himself.

Sokka crossed his arms and gave a self-satisfied smirk.

“Nope.” he informed his new fiance cheerfully. Said fiance’s mouth turned down into his signature ‘spoiled royalty’ pout.

“...I’m breaking up with you.” Zuko declared with all the huffiness that Sokka had _not_ missed, peeling away and crossing his arms.

 _“No!_ No, babe, come on! I won’t make fun of you,” Sokka pleaded, only half-jokingly. He knew Zuko was just throwing a tantrum, but who knew what he would do when he was in a mood?

“Promise?” Zuko was still pouting. 

“Promise,” Sokka sighed.

Zuko grinned devilishly and kissed him full on the mouth. It was a soft, chaste kiss, merely a press of skin to skin, but it still left Sokka shivering from the intimacy of the situation and the sweet taste of Zuko’s lips.

Sokka decided right then and there that it would be worth it to stop teasing Zuko completely if he was going to receive _this_ sort of treatment for the rest of his life.

(For the record, he broke his promise two minutes later by playfully saying, “So you’re thick in more than one way.” He nearly got a boot to the face.)

* * *

**_Eighteen months later_ **

“Are you ready?” Zuko asked softly.

Sokka hesitated for just a split second before nodding and offering his heavily-robed arm. Zuko took it and led him up the steps gracefully, to where the ceremonial fire burned in the fire-pit. This was where both would take their vows and swear to each other forever, as was Fire Nation tradition. The Water Tribe part of the wedding was already done, having involved the exchange of gifts and the otter-penguin blubber lamps between the families of both grooms - Iroh on Zuko’s side and Hakoda and Katara on Sokka’s. Now came the bit that Sokka was most afraid of: the trial by fire.

Fire wasn’t an element he particularly liked. Sokka had always been afraid of it, ever since he was a very young boy and accidentally burned Katara. And it hadn’t gotten much better on his travels, either: after being nearly flambéed quite a few times, many of them by the very person he was marrying, he wasn’t exactly on the best of terms with fire. 

That was when Zuko gave him the Smile, the soft curve of his lips which made him look like the youth of twenty-four that he really was. Sokka smiled weakly back, Zuko’s expression restoring some of his confidence. 

“If you’re scared,” Zuko murmured, “we could avoid it. I could… bend the flames inwards?”

Sokka shook his head quickly. The fire burning in the pit was spirit fire, sacred to Agni. If Zuko touched it, he wouldn’t survive the spirits’ wrath.

“We have nothing to doubt about our union,” he muttered back, grasping Zuko’s hand and trying very hard to believe in his own words. “So why should the spirits doubt it?” 

Zuko looked worried. “Are you _sure?”_

“Absolutely.” Sokka answered with a warm smile. He wasn’t, not in the least, but he’d be damned if he didn’t bloody _try._ Love wasn’t love if you didn’t trust in it. So he would trust in his love with Zuko, and hope to all the spirits he knew that it was enough. 

They started their slow walk around the fire, the Seven Steps, completing one round easily. The flames licked and hissed at their brick boundary, but made no other move towards the almost-newlyweds. Sokka pointedly looked away from it and towards his feet, measuring each step. Zuko’s hand was warm and heavy in his; he brought up the rear, as apparently it was tradition for the spouse to lead the Seven Steps. 

Sokka rather wished it wasn’t. Regardless, he continued to walk on, finding a little more courage each time he completed one round successfully.

It was on the sixth round, when he was finally starting to think that he would make it out of this _not_ in a body bag, that the fire flared.

Sokka stopped dead in his tracks, watching fearfully as the golden flames roared. They rose high, almost to the canopy of the pavilion, leaving grey scorch marks on the red ceiling. He felt their heat prickling against his skin and gulped heavily.

_This is it… you’re going to die…_

_"Don’t stop!”_ hissed Zuko harshly in his ear. 

Ice washed over Sokka’s body. 

_“What?!”_ he whispered back.

“Keep _going,"_ Zuko spat. “You stop now, and _you will die._ It’s a test - to see if you’re brave enough to go through with this wedding even at the threat to your own life. And I know you are - but you have to _show the spirits that!”_

Something smarted in Sokka’s chest. So this was a bloody _test,_ was it? To see if he’d run? 

The spirits could jolly well _shove it_ with their damn tests. He wouldn’t run from Zuko, from what they’d built, in a million years.

So he steeled himself and _walked._

Sokka’s steps were suddenly sure. He wasn’t looking down, but straight ahead. The heat made the air hazy and wobbly, but he thought he could see his future on the other side of the flames. He was sweating buckets; it was dripping off his skin as if he’d been soaked, but he couldn’t care less. All he could see was his destination, his end goal. Saying his vows with Zuko and finally, _finally_ kissing him as a married couple. 

As Sokka stepped over the red line that demarcated the beginning and end of their Seven Steps, pulling Zuko with him, the raging blaze died down to burn gently and almost _kindly._

“You did it,” Zuko whispered, turning him around and smiling widely. “You did it. I’m so proud of you.”

Sokka grinned.

“It really wasn’t much, considering it was all for you,” he answered truthfully.

The priest cleared his throat, and both men’s eyes went right to him.

“Not to interrupt your… ah… moment, my Lords, but…” he gestured at his book. “If we could get on with the vows?”

“Of course,” Zuko said, immediately sinking into a kneeling position. Sokka did the same, facing Zuko, and they kept their eyes on each other as they recited the vows together.

_“We have taken the Seven Steps. You have become mine forever. Yes, we have become partners. I have become yours. Hereafter, I cannot live without you. Do not live without me. Let us share the joys. We are word and meaning, united. You are thought and I am sound. May the night be honey-sweet for us. May the morning be honey-sweet for us. May the earth be honey-sweet for us. May the heavens be honey-sweet for us. May the plants be honey-sweet for us. May the sun be all honey for us. May the puma-goats yield us honey-sweet milk. As the heavens are stable, as the earth is stable, as the mountains are stable, as the whole universe is stable, so may our union be permanently settled."_

The priest clutched the handful of turmeric-coated rice and upended it over both their heads. 

“You may now seal your marriage.” he announced heavily.

Zuko grinned and leaned forwards to kiss Sokka even as rice tumbled down both their faces and got in the way of their mouths. It was hungry and wet, and sort of ruined by the taste of uncooked turmeric-flavoured rice, but it was the best kiss of their lives - as honey-sweet as their vows had asked it all to be.

And as they rose, now a wedded couple, Sokka knew that their marriage would _always_ contain that same sweetness. They would have disagreements and arguments, of course, and they wouldn’t always have time for each other. But it would be all right in the end, because they would always find a way back to each other’s hearts. 

**Author's Note:**

> Aah, I hope y'all enjoyed this fic! Pls leave me a comment if you did~ :3  
> The vows are NOT my own! The tradition of walking around the fire, as well as the vows, are rites of North Indian Hindu wedding ceremonies (my own culture). I skated over the Inuit weddings (Water Tribe weddings) as I didn't want to overstep and write about a culture that isn't my own.


End file.
